


DANGANRONPA: DESPAIR ASSIGNMENT

by nastylittleman



Series: Nasty's Fanganronpas [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fanganronpa, Ill add more tags as I see fit, M/M, Multi, TW: Blood, TW: Homophobia, TW: Violence, but its gonna get violent, i know some of the ultimates arent original sue me, idk how long this will be, ive been planning this for... a while, monokumas a dick, oh yeah, the anime that is, these kids are gonna swear, this takes place roughly 50 years after danganronpa 3, tw: Mentions of Suicide, tw: albeism, tw: alcohol, tw: smoking, tw: transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-12-26 05:46:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18277004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nastylittleman/pseuds/nastylittleman
Summary: Fifty years after the reopening of Hope's Peak Academy, sixteen new students have been hand-picked to attend the prestigious school. However, when they find themselves isolated within its walls, it seems like something, or someone, has other plans for the Ultimates.Come to think of it, did any of them get an acceptance letter in the first place...?





	1. Prologue

_My name is Mutsuko Urayama, and I'm the Ultimate Taxidermist._

_I, as well as my classmates, were chosen by Hope's Peak Academy because of my remarkable talent._

_I have been studying taxidermy since I was five years old. As morbid as it sounds, I suppose it was somewhat of a special interest of mine, even at what would be considered such a young age. I remember first deciding to study taxidermy when my beloved cat, Tsuki, passed. My parents had seemed quite content with simply burying him in our backyard. However, I had wanted him to stay by my side until it was my time, so I studied as much as I could that day. Later that same night while my parents were asleep, I dug him up and began to work. Needless to say when my parents saw him standing gracefully in the middle of the living room, they were a little surprised._

_... That might be an understatement. They totally flipped.Regardless, they saw potential in me, and rightfully so. We soon came to an agreement. I could continue studying and practising my skills, however I had to do it away from the house, and in a tool shed which was a few acres away. I, of course, agreed, knowing it was fair. After all, animals don't smell the best when they've been deceased for a while._

_As I grew, so did my talent. By age twelve, I was being asked by museums all over the world to preserve specimens. My skills in taxidermy were exceptional. I was winning awards, and world recognition for my work._

_I remember my parents telling me of an event, known only as 'The Tragedy'. Apparently, it was The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History. And it had all started at Hope's Peak Academy._

_I hadn't known much about Hope's Peak, except that it was a school where Ultimates, much like myself, were chosen to further enhance their skills. I was also told that anyone who graduated would be set for life._

_With what everyone referred to as 'Despair' seemingly coming to an end thanks to the Future Foundation, Hope's Peak had reopened its doors, ready to raise and expand the knowledge of a whole new generation of Ultimates, with the Ultimate Hope, Makoto Naegi, as its new Headmaster. It seemed that Hope was finally emerging victorious, after all those years._

_However, I had no idea how wrong I would be._

_And with fifteen other students, ones who I would soon consider friends, little did we know that Despair would once again seep through into Hope's Peak Academy._


	2. Chapter 1- Daily Life 1

Mutsuko woke up with a groan. Clutching her head, she lifted her head up and looked around, her vision slightly blurry. She blinked a few times, rubbing her fuchsia eyes with gloved hands, before her eyes finally readjusted. She was surprised to find herself in a classroom, though this wasn't like any of the classrooms at her school. How did she get here? She stood up, staggering slightly, and patted down her plain white blouse. It didn't take long for her to notice the giant metal plates that were covering up what she presumed to be windows. She walked up to them, examining them closer, and found that they had, in fact, been bolted to the walls.   
  
"What the hell..." she muttered under her breath. Mutsuko knew that there was no point in even attempting to unscrew them, and so she left them in favour of examining the rest of the room. Nothing else in particular had stood out to her, except for a brightly coloured piece of paper that had been delicately placed on the podium at the front of the class. Narrowing her eyes, she flicked a few stray strands of pink hair out of her face, and approached the podium. Upon closer inspection, Mutsuko realised that this was, in fact, a letter. Though, from presumably being from the school, it didn't look very official, the writing having been haphazardly scrawled out in what seemed to be crayons of varying colours. "Whoever wrote this has some seriously bad handwriting," she mused.   
  
'WELCOME STUDENTS!' It read. 'PLEASE MEET AT THE GYMNASIUM AT EXACTLY 8 AM SHARP FOR YOUR INDUCTION! ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY!'   
  
"Induction...?"she thought to herself. "But... I haven't applied for anything.   
  
Looking up at the clock that had been hung up on the wall above the blackboard, Mutsuko saw that the time was currently 7:45 AM. She furrowed her brow. How was she supposed to find where she needs to go? As if answering her thoughts, she noticed another piece of paper on the podium, with what appeared to be a simple map outlining where to go from her current location, as if placed specially for her. Scrunching up the letter, she threw it in a nearby trashcan, the map clasped in her other hand, and left the classroom, closing the door behind her.   
  
The hallway looked like a typical school hallway. However, she wasn't sure if it was just her eyes, but the lighting seemed... Off. It looked like the hall was filled with a soft purple glow. She sighed, rubbing her temples. It was probably just her. Looking down at the map, she began to follow the directions. She found herself struggling to read the notes, the handwriting being the same chicken scratch as before, so instead just decided to focus on the arrows. She clearly hadn't been too focused on her surroundings, as soon she found herself colliding with another student.   
  
"A-Ah...!" he grumbled, his glasses having been knocked off. Mutsuko frowned.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." she began. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She leaned down and picked up the black-rimmed glasses that the boy was currently fumbling around for, handing them to him. He took them from her hand and put them on, having to brush away a large tuft of wild blonde hair that had been covering his face. She noticed that the boy was frowning, his brow furrowed. He was clearly frightened. Forcing a smile, she leaned down so that she could directly face the shorter student. "My name is Mutsuko Urayama." she said, holding out a gloved hand, which he soon took.   
  
"... A-Akio Tezuka." he replied, his purple-brown eyes looking down at the ground. Mutsuko noticed that his clothes were quite torn, the sleeves of his navy-green jacket having large holes in them, especially around the wrists. His tan jeans had a few tears along the knees, and his matching navy-green converse had a few holes in them, along with being worn down from many years of use. All in all, this boy looked quite unkempt, something which bothered the Taxidermist, as opposed to her own rather neat presentation.   
  
Clearing her throat, Mutsuko stood back up. "Are you looking for the gym as well?" she asked. The boy nodded.   
  
"Well, that's where I'm headed as well. It seemed you were going the wrong way, so..." she paused. "Didn't you get a map?"   
  
"... No."   
  
"Hm." That was odd. Regardless, she didn't look too much into it. The boy seemed like he was in a panic, so it seemed perfectly plausible that he had simply not seen it. "That's fine, you can come with me if you want?"   
  
Akio seemed to hesitate. Soon, however, he nodded. "Y-Yeah, okay."   
  
Mutsuko's forced smile turned into a genuine one. "Alright, follow me," she said, as she continued her way through the halls, the smaller boy quickly following suit. Things were quiet between the two, before it began to bother the pink-haired girl, and she decided to speak up.   
  
"So, Akio," she began, his head shooting up to look at her. "Are you an Ultimate student, by any chance?" He nodded.   
  
"Yeah... I'm the Ultimate True Crimes Expert".   
  
**[AKIO TEZUKA: ULTIMATE TRUE CRIMES EXPERT]**   
  
Mutsuko continued to walk. "That's quite impressive." she stated.   
  
"A-Are you an Ultimate?" She nodded.   
  
"I'm the Ultimate Taxidermist."   
  
**[MUTSUKO URAYAMA: ULTIMATE TAXIDERMIST]**   
  
The boy seemed in awe. "S-So that's wh-when you stuff and preserve animals, yeah?" Mutsuko nodded again. "Th-That's so cool."   
  
She couldn't help but chuckle.   
  
"Uh, Mutsuko, is that it?" She stopped and looked up, seeing the massive beige doors that stood in front of them. "... It would appear so." she replied. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on the doors and pushed.

 

**\--**

 

When they looked inside, they were surprised to see fourteen other students already waiting, gathered together at the centre of the gymnasium. They all turned to look at the two.   
  
"Ah, there's more of us." spoke a girl with long, red hair, and a few scars going across her face.   
  
Akio awkwardly waved at the group, which was returned only by a rather scruffy looking male, his silver hair slicked back into three even spikes, and his piercing emerald eyes surrounded with heavy, black eye-shadow. Mutsuko cleared her throat, uncomfortable with how quiet it had suddenly become.   
  
"... Good morning, everyone." she began, feeling everyones eyes on her. She didn't like it. She straightened her posture, and continued. "My name is Mutsuko Urayama, and I'm the Ultimate Taxidermist." She gestured to her companion. "And this is-"   
  
"M-My name is Akio Tezuka... Ultimate T-True Crimes Expert."   
  
Mutsuko blinked. "He must not like being spoken over." she thought, making a mental note. She would make sure to apologise to him later.   
  
She felt the tension that had been in the atmosphere drop a little, much to her relief. She glanced over to Akio, before walking towards and joining with the rest of the group.   
  
"Well, then," one of the students spoke up. She was quite androgynous-looking, wearing a light grey waistcoat with a scarlet-red undershirt that was covering a flat chest, dark grey leather gloves, black dress pants, and a black bowler hat which had been decorated with a simple red ribbon. Her silver-white hair stuck out in neat tufts, one just barely hiding her piercing crimson eyes, going down to her neck. Mutsuko noticed that she was quite pale, despite having a somewhat ominous aura to her. If the girl hadn't spoken, Mutsuko would have been certain that she was a boy. "We were just introducing ourselves. That was, of course, before we were... Interrupted." She shot an accusing glare at Mutsuko, who was more than happy to glare back. Mutsuko had been quick to notice that the girl had been smiling the entire time. The smile, along with the rest of her, didn't fail to irk out the pink-haired girl. She decided she would keep a close eye on her.   
  
"Anyway, I believe that we should start over." She outstretched her hand, which Mutsuko didn't take. The girl tilted her head, still smiling, and soon retracted her hand, placing it to her side. "My name is Kana Kikuchi," she continued. "and I have been rightfully given the title of the Ultimate Mortician."   
  
**[KANA KIKUCHI: ULTIMATE MORTICIAN]**   
  
Ah. So that explains why she's so weird.   
  
Kana, seemingly growing bored of the one-sided conversation, turned away and left the group, walking towards the nearby bleachers and sitting down.   
  
Nearly as soon as she was left alone, Mutsuko was approached by another student. This girl was much smaller, though she was surprisingly taller than Kana. She had short, cyan hair, with eyes to match, her hair sticking out in a few small, scattered points on her scalp, before ending just above her shoulders. She wore fingerless gloves and a simple, brown, t-shirt. Over the shirt, she was wearing a long, brown, leather apron, the front pocket containing all sorts of various tools, from compasses to pencils to iron nails. Underneath, she was wearing faded brown jeans which seemed to be too long for her, as the bottoms were rolled up so they wouldn't scrape along the ground. Lastly, she wore simple dark-brown work boots. "H-Hey," she began, clearly nervous. "I'm Miya Harumo. I'm the Ultimate Architect." She bowed. "It's very nice to meet you!" Mutsuko couldn't help but smile, returning the bow. "It's nice to meet you too." she said. The smaller girl gave her a small smile, and walked off.   
  
**[MIYA HARUMO: ULTIMATE ARCHITECT]**   
  
Mutsuko sighed, and looked around for another student to talk to. She huffed, soon walking back to try and find Akio, until a boisterous girl jumped in front of her, startling her. "Hey! I'm Suko Torii!" she exclaimed, a bit too loud than what Mutsuko would've liked. "I'm the Ultimate Sculptor!" Mutsuko examined the girl. Suko, like Akio, was what she would consider unkempt, though she was far worse than Akio. Her hair was quite long, and a much dirtier shade of blonde, with what seemed to be bits of dried clay stuck in her hair. She wore green-rimmed glasses over golden eyes, her face splattered in what appeared to be more dried clay. She wore a thin, v-neck sweater, decorated with little green swirls of various shades, which was, of course, also covered in clay. Her pants were rolled up to her knees, and were surprisingly the only article of clothing that was clean. "Have you ever considered wearing an apron when you worked?"   
  
"A what?"   
  
"... You've got to be joking."   
  
Suko shrugged, and walked off.   
  
**[SUKO TORII: ULTIMATE SCULPTOR]** **  
**   
Having no one else approach her, Mutsuko decided it was time to initiate a conversation for once. Scanning the group, her eyes soon landed on a taller male. They soon made eye contact, as Mutsuko approached him. "Good morning," she greeted. "What's your name?" He rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand, his right hand having been shoved into the pocket of his dark-brown trenchcoat. "Haha, hey," he began, slicking back his spiky red hair. "The name's Kagei Fujioka, and I'm the Ultimate Pyrotechnician." He grinned as he spoke, clearly very proud of his title. Mutsuko noticed the slight stubble across his face, as well as a large burn scar covering his right eye, which was seemingly fused shut. She raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your eye?" Kagei frowned. "What, this?" He pointed to the scar. "Heh, I was being a bit reckless with some explosives a few years back. Lost my eye." He seemed a bit annoyed as he spoke, so Mutsuko decided it best to leave him be for now.   
  
**[KAGEI FUJIOKA: ULTIMATE PYROTECHNICIAN]**   
  
She continued her search for Akio, soon finding him talking to the tall boy with way too much eye-shadow from earlier. They seemed to be getting along quite well, having what appeared to be a rather pleasant conversation. Akio saw her, and beckoned her over, smiling. She returned the smile, and walked over to the two. "H-Hey, Mutsuko!" he began. "This is Irie!" Mutsuko turned to face the boy in question. He was wearing a faded denim jacket with a white undershirt. A light green ghost design was printed on the shirt. His pants were equally faded, though still in better condition to Akio's. He kicked the floor of the gymnasium with his black converse, leaving a light scuff on the polished surface. Mutsuko bowed her head. "It's nice to meet you." she greeted. Irie bowed his head in return. "'Sup?" He folded his arms, grinning. "Irie Tanayuki, at 'yer service!" Mutsuko frowned. "... Mhm." Akio looked up. "He's the Ultimate Paranormal Investigator! Isn't that so cool?"   
  
"I... Suppose so, yes."   
  
**[IRIE TANAYUKI: ULTIMATE PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR]**   
  
Mutsuko felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, only to be greeted with a creepy-looking hand puppet. The puppet was white, it's eyes hollow, with a wide snarl across its face. She jumped, before realising that it was only a puppet. She heard a light giggle, which she noticed was coming from the person behind the puppet. She was wearing a simple checkered blue sweater, with matching blue pants. To put it bluntly, this girl's clothes were hideous. On one hand, she wore a small black ring, and on the other, the creepy puppet. Her hair was dark blue, with light purple highlights, sticking out from every possible angle. She looked like she had just got out of bed. Her grey eyes pierced into Mutsuko's, causing a shiver down the taller girls spine. "Puhuhu, you're easy to frighten, aren't you?" she asked in a cheery tone, her hand movements making it seem like it was the puppet who was speaking. Mutsuko rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. Ultimate Puppeteer?" The girl, as well as the puppet, nodded. "Mhm, yep yep! Rieko Kitajo, here to bewitch and amaze you with my mastery of puppets!" she boasted, before leaning in. "And to scare the wits out of big-chested skanks~!" Mutsuko's eyes widened. "Why, you-"   
  
She was interrupted by a loud, boisterous voice shout her name. Glaring at the smaller girl with a look on her face that said "I'll come back for you", she turned around and moved towards the voice.   
  
**[RIEKO KITAJO: ULTIMATE PUPPETEER]**   
  
As Mutsuko walked towards the voice, she found that it belonged to a tall, tanned boy, who looked almost as if he were about to go for a swim. Making eye contact, he waved, his pale blue eyes showing genuine kindness towards the girl. As she approached, he gave another wave, grinning from ear to ear. "G'day," he greeted. "Th' name's Arlo Foster!" He held out a calloused hand. Mutsuko was taken aback by how strange this boy sounded. And what a weird name. Raising an eyebrow, she accepted the gesture and shook his hand. He was wearing a plain white singlet with a single red cross printed on the left side, and bright red board shorts. She noticed, looking down, that he was also barefoot, something that repulsed her. "I... Take it you're not from here?" she asked, her question coming off far more rude than she had meant it to be, but he didn't seem to notice. Still grinning, he shook his head. "Nah, I'm from Australia!" he said, flashing her a thumbs up. "I was supposed to transfer to an elite surf school here, but..." he looked around. "Not gonna lie, this doesn't look like a surf school at all.". Mutsuko hummed in agreement. "Well... It was nice meeting you," she said, beginning to walk off. "O-Oh, wait!" She turned around. "I'm the Ultimate Lifeguard!" Another thumbs up. "Heh, forgot to mention that earlier... Sorry!" he chuckled, as he ran his fingers through his short, surprisingly neat, bleach-blonde hair. Mutsuko simply nodded, and walked off, now willing to talk to anyone else but him.   
  
**[ARLO FOSTER: ULTIMATE LIFEGUARD]**   
  
The next student that had caught her eye was a shorter boy, his bright purple hair tied back into a neat, low ponytail, though his fringe was in dire need of a brush, long strands falling off to the sides and in front of his face. He looked like he was deep in thought. She approached him next, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. He jumped, looking at her, and laughed sheepishly, shoving his hands into his dark purple hoodie, lavender stripes going down the sleeves and around the jacket's waist. "Hah... Sorry about that." he apologised, laughing again. He looked embarrassed. "Mutsuko Urayama, was it?" The Taxidermist nodded, not yet sure what to make of this boy. "Ah, thought so." As he said this, he pulled out a small notepad, scribbling something inside. Leaning over, Mutsuko saw that he had written her name, along with what she assumed were the names of the rest of their classmates. Once he caught her staring, he shoved the notepad back into one of the pockets of his light blue cargo pants, blushing, and looking more embarrassed that he had before. "... I'm Nasu Aritomo," he spoke, his voice much lower than it was before. "... Ultimate Collector." Mutsuko gave him an apologetic smile, before she felt another tap on her shoulder. Bracing herself in case it was the Puppeteer, she gritted her teeth and turned around, immediately relaxing when she saw another student. Nasu lowered his head, his indigo eyes staring down, as he was once more lost in thought.   
  
**[NASU ARITOMO: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR]**   
  
Mutsuko smiled at the slightly smaller girl, the girl returning the smile. "Hey!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. This student had long, dark green hair, with streaks of blonde running through it, her hair stopping just above the girls tailbone. Her hair was nearly as long as Mutsuko's. She was wearing a faded pink v-neck, with a pair of dyed dark green overalls over the shirt, the overalls decorated with various floral designs that had been embroidered. Finishing off the outfit was a pair of clean, brown rainboots. An odd choice, Mutsuko mused, but quite cute looking. Like the previous students had done, she held out her hand. She looked surprised when Mutsuko took it, shaking her hand gently, before lowering it. "It's nice to meet you, Mutsuko!" the girl said, her voice genuine. Mutsuko smiled. "My name is Reina Matsura!"   
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Reina."   
  
The girl giggled, turning around to talk to another student, before Mutsuko tapped on her shoulder. "Pardon me, but you didn't tell me your Ultimate Title?" Reina looked slightly embarrassed, though only for a brief moment. "Oh, I didn't tell you because I don't have one!" she replied, before smiling politely, and walking off.   
  
**[REINA MATSURA: ULTIMATE LUCKY STUDENT]**   
  
Just as quickly as Reina had left, Mutsuko was approached by another student, a tall, skinny, pale looking boy. His messy mop of brown hair covered most of his face, pulled apart just enough so that he could still see by the black rims of his glasses. Bright green eyes looked at her. They looked nervous. Why exactly, Mutsuko wasn't sure. He was wearing a light grey tshirt, with a swirling green and purple design printed onto it. She wasn't sure if the swirls were meant to represent a dragon. She decided not to look too much into it. His pants were dark grey, clinging to his skinny frame, a small set of keys dangling from a clip on the side. Lastly, he wore a tanned leather satchel bag over his shoulder, which she saw was filled with what she assumed to be very important paperwork by the way he was clinging to it. "Ah, good morning." she greeted. There was a silence between the two. Mutsuko was getting uncomfortable. "... Could I ask your na-"   
  
"Aya N-Nobuhira...! Ultimate Dungeon Master!"   
  
Mutsuko blinked. "Ah..." she paused. She had no idea what a 'Dungeon Master' was, and she had no intention of finding out anytime soon. "... Are you... Okay?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Aya shook his head. "I'm panicking."   
  
"Why's that?"   
  
"D-Don't you think this is a little weird? I mean, I asked around and everyone said that they all woke up in a strange c-classroom," he paused, taking a breath. "a-and with no exact memory of how they got there! I think I have every right to be panicking!" Mutsuko thought for a moment, then nodded.   
  
"... I see your point. Okay, why don't you just go sit down for a moment?" she offered, gesturing to the bleachers where Kana was currently still seated, now talking to Rieko. Of course. Aya pulled a face.   
  
"... I'd rather stand."   
  
**[AYA NOBUHIRO: ULTIMATE DUNGEON MASTER]**   
  
Those words echoed throughout Mutsuko's head. Had the same thing happened to everyone? She stood there, thinking, before she felt her head being gently lifted upwards. Soon, her eyes met with not another set of eyes, but a mask. The mask was rather peculiar, the right side a light purple, and the left side a murky yellow. Thought the mask creeped her out, the voice that came from behind it instantly pushed all negative thoughts to the back of her mind.   
  
"Ah, It's so nice to finally be able to speak with you..." He leaned in closer. "... Face to face." There was something about the way he spoke that made Mutsuko blush. His was wearing a large overcoat, the colour scheme matching with the mask he wore, though with the colours reversed. The coat bore a large, oversized hood, the inside being lined with sheeps wool, which was currently over his head. He wore black dress pants, and heavy combat boots."I am the Ultimate Mask Maker, Yosoku Fukanoya," he cooed, his calm voice sending shivers down her spine. "Tell me, my little death blossom..." he continued, looking directly into her fuschia eyes through the mask. "... Have you ever worn a mask before?" Mutsuko shook her head.   
  
"... Would you like to?"   
  
Before she could answer, she heard another voice, this one sounding rough, call out his name.   
  
"Hey. Fukanoya." He turned to the source of the voice, Mutsuko following, the two of them seeing the redhead from before. "Stop creeping on everyone here, before I chop up that hideous looking thing you've been calling your face." She was referring to his mask. Mutsuko felt him smile underneath his mask, before removing his hand from her chin. "I'll be back later." he said, his words sounding like a promise, before he shulked off to presumably find some other poor student to 'flirt' with.   
  
**[YOSOKU FUKANOYA: ULTIMATE MASK MAKER]**   
  
The scarred redhead was quick to approach her, a genuine look of concern on her face. "Hey, you okay?" she asked. Mutsuko took a deep breath, nodding, still not entirely sure what had just happened. The redhead breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. That creep's been doing that to everyone..." She paused, glancing over at him, pulling a face when she saw that he was now focusing his attention to Arlo, who seemed as oblivious as ever. She looked back to Mutsuko. "... He seemed to take more interest in you, though, so I'd be careful." Mutsuko, still blushing, simply nodded. She noticed that the girls face, aside from the several large scars, was lightly peppered with freckles, with dark, almost black, eyes. She was wearing an open red flannel shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a plain white sleeveless shirt thrown on underneath. There was another long scar running up her left forearm, mostly covered by the sleeve. She wore faded denim pants, held up by a leather belt, a gold belt buckle in the shape of two crossing woodaxe's holding it togehter. Mutsuko also noticed the steel-capped boots she was wearing. It would probably break your shin were you to get kicked there. Mutsuko saw a hand waving in front of her, realising she had been vagueing out.   
  
"Hey, are you listening?" she asked, now sounding slightly annoyed. Mutsuko blinked, shaking her head. "N-No, sorry... Could you repeat what you said?" The girl rolled her eyes, but now seemed less annoyed. Mutsuko noted how soft her face looked, despite the scars.   
  
"Utako Nishina," she said. "Lumberjack."   
  
"It's... Nice to meet you." Mutsuko replied, feeling the blush slowly creep back.   
  
"Likewise. Hey, if Fukanoya gives you any more trouble, lemme know, 'kay? There's something off about that guy."   
  
"... Of course."   
  
**[UTAKO NISHINA: ULTIMATE LUMBERJACK]**   
  
With a nod, Ukato left. Finding a nearby basketball, she began to shoot some hoops to pass time until there was any indication that their 'induction' had begun. Mutsuko winced slightly as the constant 'thud' of the ball hitting against the floor echoed throughout the gymnasium. She noticed two more students sitting over by the bleachers, though they were sitting far away from Kana and Rieko. Realising she hadn't spoken to them yet, she decided to approach the duo, who were sitting quite close to each other.   
  
"Morning," she greeted, giving the two a slight nod. One of the students, a girl with hair that was a few shades darket than Mutsuko's, looked up and returned the nod, smiling. "Good morning," she replied. The other student, whose gender Mutsuko wasn't too sure on, didn't return the greeting. The pink haired girl wore a neatly ironed, light pink button up shirt, with a knitted grey and pink checkered vest over it. She wore a dark pink, pleated skirt, with knee-high white stockings underneath plain black school shoes. Her hair was clipped back with two silver clips that resembled knitting needles. All in all, this girl looked lovely. "My name is Kachi Miyabe, the Ultimate Knitter!" she continued, her voice just as pleasant as she looked. She looked up at Mutsuko with faded pink eyes. "Please pardon them, they don't seem to like talking to others much." She let out a bashful laugh. This girl was truly an absoulte delight.   
  
The student in question was much smaller, possibly the smallest of the group, Mutsuko noticed. Their hair was short and bobbed, pale green in colour. On top of their head sat an oversized beanie, with stripes of varying shades of green running vertically along it, a single green pompom sitting at the top. They were wearing a matching striped scarf, which was currently covering up most of their face, save for two dull, dark green eyes. They had a light green jacket on, with various patches showcasing what looked like turtles and other reptiles stiched on the front and sleeves. Their pants were long and baggy, light brown in colour, with another patch sewn on the right leg. Lastly, they wore light blue rainboots, shining in the light from the gym.   
  
Mutsuko kneeled down, trying to make eye contact with the much smaller student, though she wasn't successful as they looked away, nuzzling into Kachi's shoulder. Kachi soon decided to speak up. "... This is Sakuno Koyanagi, the Ultimate Herpetologist!" Mutsuko smiled. "That's quite impressive," she complimented, trying to get a response. Nothing. She sighed. "I've worked with reptiles before, many times." They seemed to perk up slightly, looking over Mutsuko for a moment, before leaning up and whispering something into Kachi's ear. The latter girl giggled, and nodded, looking back at the Taxidermist.   
  
"Sakuno wants me to tell you that they like your hair!" she said, smiling. Mutsuko was slightly taken aback at the compliment, but returned the smile nonetheless.   
  
"... Thank you."   
  
**[KACHI MIYABE: ULTIMATE KNITTER]**   
  
**[SAKUNO KOYANAGI: ULTIMATE HERPETOLOGIST]**

  
**\--**   
  
**_"Ahem... Ahem! Is everyone here? Everyone well acquainted with one another? Good!"_ **   
  
A shrill voice suddenly played over the speakers. Everyone looked around, confused. They all gathered in front of the stage where, to their surprise, a giant screen was being lowered. As it lowered, it made a loud buzzing noise, causing some of the students to cover their ears in discomfort. Akio ran over Mutsuko.   
  
"Wh-What's going on...?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.   
  
"I don't know."   
  
The screen had soon finished lowering. It was roughly the size of a cinema screen, though noticeably more solid. Before any of them could register what was going on, the screen flickered to life, showing the inside of a control room. At the center of the screen, however, was the back of a large, red throne-like chair.   
  
**_"Welcome, students..."_ **   
  
The chair soon turned around and, to everyone's surprise, it was not a human sitting, but a bear. The bear was split down the middle, the left side was plain white, with a small black eye and a rosy pink cheek, while the right side was the exact opposite. The right side was pitch black, the mouth forming up into an eerie grin. What stood out most, however, was it's glowing red eye, jagged curves surrounding it. There was something about the bear that struck something inside Mutsuko. She was certain she had seen it somewhere before.   
  
**_"... And congratulations on being the sixteen lucky students chosen to attend Hope's Peak Academy!"_ **   
  
Startled gasps filled the gymnasium. Hearing that name immediately sparked dread in Mutsuko.   
  
"Wait, Hope's Peak?"   
  
"I-I didn't apply for this school, dude!"   
  
Mutsuko thought to herself. If this was Hope's Peak, then...   
  
"Excuse me." She made sure her voice was loud and clear so that she could be heard. This worked, as the gym fell silent, all eyes on her, including the bear's. "If this is Hope's Peak, then where is the Principal, Makoto Nae-"   
  
**_"Ew, don't say his name!"_ ** the bear shrieked, pretending to vomit.  **_"Besides, he's old news! I'm the Principal now!"_ ** The Taxidermist frowned. "And who are you, exactly?" she asked, fearing her suspicions would be confirmed, which they soon were.   
  
**_"Why, I'm your friendly neighbourhood Monokuma!"_ **   
  
The gym remained silent. Mutsuko took a deep breath, and continued.   
  
"... You wouldn't happen to be the same Monokuma that was in relation to The Tragedy, would you?" Akio glanced at her, fear evident in his eyes. She glanced back, realising that Akio knew what she was talking about.   
  
**_"What, THAT old thing? That's long gone, sweetcheeks!"_ ** he replied, waving a paw dismissively in the air. His lack of a clear answer told Mutsuko that she was correct. But that was fifty years ago... She was certain that the Despair had been vanquished for the most part, so why was this happening?   
  
"I'm sorry, but could you explain what we're all doing here, exactly?" Nasu asked, idly fiddling with the notepad in his pocket.   
  
**_"Grr, I already told 'ya!"_ ** Monokuma replied, his face red with anger.  **_"You guys were selected by me to attend Hope's Peak! Your talents are phenomenal and, I'm not sure if you know thins, but anyone who graduates will be se-"_ **   
  
"Set for life, yes, we know. We've heard of this Academy before." Nasu cut him off. "But you didn't let me finish." He cleared his throat, very clearly nervous, and continued. "... Why are we all here, when none of us applied?"   
  
"Yeah man, and either way, shouldn't we've at least gotten some sort of letter tellin' us?" Kagei added.   
  
**_"Whaaaaat?"_ ** The bear looked taken aback. **_"You guys sayin' you don't wanna be here? But this school is everything young talent like you could ever dream of!"_ ** He paused, leaning in closer.  **_"Well, it doesn't matter to me! Besides, you guys are gonna be here for a while!"_ **   
  
Now it was Miya's turn to speak up. "Wh... How long exactly is 'a while'?" the Architect asked. Monokuma simply laughed, his red eye glowing brighter, giving off an eerie vibe.   
  
**_"How does the rest of your lives sound?"_ **   
  
Once again, the gymnasium filled with panic. Everyone was freaking out. Well, except for one. Pushing past the group, Kana now stood at the front, looking up at the screen. "Not ideal, if I must be honest." she said, her seemingly permanent smile never faltering. "So I would like to ask-"   
  
**_"Woah, what's the deal with YOU?! You some kinda crossdresser or somethin'?"_ ** Monokuma looked down at the girl, his voice mocking. He was clearly trying to get a reaction out of the Mortician.  **_"Seriously, I can't tell if you're a chick or a dude! Kinda like that other one over there!"_ ** he continued, pointing over to Sakuno, who let out a soft whimper as they hid their face, gently tapping against their chest. Kachi frowned, wrapping an arm around the smaller student. Kana turned around, giving the duo a disgusted look. Kachi noticed, and looked away.  **_"And that smile!"_ ** Monokuma shuddered.  **_"Yer even giving ME the creeps! If I didn't know any better, I'd say that-"_ **   
  
_ "Enough!" _   
  
Kana's voice was raised. She was clearly annoyed, though her smile remained. She cleared her throat, and continued to speak. "... As I was saying. I noticed that the windows have been boarded up with what I can only assume to be iron, correct?"   
  
**_"Yessir!"_ **   
  
"Ah. So that would mean there is no way to escape."   
  
Monokuma nodded.  **_"Yep! When I say y'all are stuck here for the rest of 'ya lives, I mean it!"_ ** he replied, his voice filled with glee.   
  
"... Surely there must be some way to escape, no?" asked Yosoku, his smooth voice flowing out from underneath the mask. Mutsuko wondered how he breathed through there. Utako rolled her eyes, still holding the basketball.   
  
**_"Nope! You guys are stuck here, packed in like a can o' sardines!"_ **   
  
"Aw man, I don't even like sardines..." mumbled Arlo. Reina gave him a pitiful look.   
  
**_"Wait a minute... Oh, silly me, there is ONE way outta this joint!"_ ** Mutsuko raised an eyebrow, her arms folded.   
  
"Well?" She had a feeling she knew where this was going.   
  
**_"You kids gotta graduate!"_ **   
  
"H-How do we do that...?" asked Akio, though Mutsuko once again had a feeling that he already knew. His face was pale.   
  
**_"Alright, you kiddlywinks ready? Drumroll, please!"_ **   
  
No one did as he asked.   
  
**_"Aww... Ahem, anyway..."_ ** he pouted, saddened that no one had provided a drumroll, and once again leaned in close to the camera.   
  
**_"... Upupupu... In order to graduate... YOU GOTTA KILL EACH OTHER!"_ **


	3. Chapter 1- Daily Life 2

The gymnasium once again filled with panic. Mutsuko clenched her fists, trying her hardest to remain calm, something that was easier said than done as the commotion around her got louder. The bear seemed to revel in the student's fear, sitting back into his chair and laughing. Aya clutched the strap of his satchel bag, his face pale. He was mumbling something, but Mutsuko couldn't hear what exactly. Sakuno was kneeling on the ground, their face completely buried in their scarf. Kachi was close by their side, kneeling down next to them. It appeared that Sakuno was having a panic attack. Mutsuko made a mental note to check up on them later. Turning to Akio, she noticed that he was even paler than Aya, his face completely white. He stared, unblinking at the screen, his entire body trembling.

  
"I-It's... Just like before..."

  
Mutsuko nodded, and turned back to the screen, feeling Monokuma's glare as she looked up.

  
"You've done this before, haven't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "Fifty years ago." The bear laughed again.

  
_**"You've been catching up on your history, eh?"**_ he replied, leaning forward. **_"Yeah, this ain't the first Killing Game, and it certainly won't be the last!"_** Mutsuko gritted her teeth.

"W-Wait, this is a game to you?!" shrieked Reina, making the bear laugh harder behind the screen.

  
_**"Of course! And judging by you lot, this'll be the best one yet!"**_

  
Utako let out an annoyed grunt, pushing past the rest of her classmates, basketball still in hand. "Listen, shithead, I don't know what you are or who's controlling you, but if you think for a second that we're gonna play along you're even dumber than you look."

  
Monokuma frowned. _**"You think I look dumb? Aww..."**_ He wiped away a tear. _ **"That's so mean, Nishina! You've hurt my feelings!"** _Wiping away another tear, he turned to the rest of the class. _**"You guys don't think I look dumb, do ya?"**_ The class was silent. Monokuma let out an angry growl.

_**"Grr, well I don't care what a bunch of stupid kids think, anyway! I'm the most handsome bear I know!"** _

  
"Dude, is he serious...?" mumbled Arlo, rubbing the back of his neck.

  
_**"Ahem, as I was saying, if you lot want outta this joint, you'll have to kill each other! How? However you want! I'm talking stabbing! Strangling! Poisoning! Blunt force trauma! Cursing and vexing! Drowning! Light 'em on fire, for all I care!"**_ He looked directly at Kagei as he spoke the last part, the Pyrotechnician turning away. _**"Kill 'em however you want, kiddos! Get creative! It doesn't matter-"**_

  
He was interrupted when a basketball suddenly made contact with the screen, the force sending a large bang echoing throughout the gym. Sakuno whimpered, their hands clasped over their ears. Monokuma jumped back.

  
_**"Hey! Who the hell threw that?!"**_ he shrieked. It didn't take a second for Utako to raise her hand, the basketball no longer in her possession.

  
_**"I'd watch it if I were you..."**_ he snarled, his fangs glistening. _**"Damaging school property is a direct violation of the school rules, young lady! And violation of the rules results in severe corporal punishment!**_ " Utako glared up at the screen.

  
"Yeah? What're you gonna do about it? You're not even here." She immediately regretted what she said as she say the bears mouth twist into a wicked snarl.

  
_**"Why don't I show you?"**_

  
Almost immediately, a small hatch opened up from the bottom of the screen. A small, round object fell out, rolling on the floor in front of the group. Mutsuko noticed that it had been crudely painted to resemble Monokuma's face. Utako raised an eyebrow.

  
"A ball? Really-" She stopped talking when the object began to beep.

  
The group of students had no idea what to do, or what the object was, until Kagei jumped forward, grabbing the ball in his left hand.

  
"Everyone, get down!"

  
The students did as they were told. They kneeled down, their hands over their heads, as Kagei threw the beeping object into the air. The beeping stopped, before a large explosion filled the air, the force knocking him back. He landed on the ground with a hard thud. Arlo was quick to rush to his side.

  
"Dude, are you alive?!" he shook Kagei's shoulders as he spoke, shaken up by the sound. Kagei pulled himself up with a grunt.

  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..." Arlo breathed a sigh of relief, and helped him up.

  
Soon, the rest of the class was once again standing, though clearly shaken by what had just happened. Rieko was clutching her hand puppet close to her chest, Kana practically glued to her side. Mutsuko wondered how on Earth the Mortician was still smiling, after all this. The room was silent for a few moments, before Utako spoke up once more.

  
"... What the fuck?!"

  
Monokuma simply laughed. _**"Consider that a warning! Break the rules, 'ya get blown to bits! Oh, that reminds me!"**_ Another hatch opened below the screen. The students winced, but quickly relaxed as they noticed that there would be no more bombs, for now. Looking down, they noticed that what had been dropped down appeared to be slightly bulky looking phones.

  
"... What are they?" asked Irie, noticing one had his name engraved on the back and picking it up, examining it. The others were quick to follow suit, finding the one with their name and picking it up.

  
_**"It's a little device I like to call the E-Handbook!"**_ He clapped his hands happily. _**"Sure, the tech is a little old, but it still gets the job done!"**_

  
Mutsuko examined her handbook. It, like the others, had been painted black and white. Flipping it over, she noticed a red insignia, the same one that matched Monokumas right eye. She found it hideous. She would have prefered any other colour scheme, even if it was a simple blue. She sighed, flipping it back over and pressing the 'home' button. Soon, the handbook sprung to life. displaying her name in a fancy red font. Mutsuko noticed that there were several different folders on the home screen.

  
**'MAP'**

  
**'TRUTH BULLETS'**

  
**'REPORT CARD'**

  
**'REGULATIONS'**

  
Mutsuko noticed that the 'Truth Bullets' section, whatever that meant, was grey, as opposed to the bright red text of the other sections. She tapped it out of curiosity, not surprised when it didn't do anything. Sighing, she tucked the handbook in her pocket, deciding to check the rest out later. She watched as the others did the same, looking back up at the screen.

  
_**"Well, I think that just about covers everything!"**_ Monokuma pulled out what appeared to be a checklist, his eyes scanning over it, before nodding to himself, and tucking it away. _**"You'll find that the keys to your dorm rooms have already been placed in your pockets while you were unconscious."**_ As he said this, the students checked their pockets, where they found that indeed, there were keys to their respective dorms.

  
_**"That concludes the orientation! Let the New and Improved School Life of Mutual Killing begin!"**_

  
Mutsuko frowned. "Hey, wait-" but the screen had already turned off, and was beginning to ascend back into the ceiling. Damnit. She still had so many questions to ask. She supposed she'd have to wait another time. As the screen disappeared completely, the gym was once again silent. She looked around. Everyone looked on edge, and with good reason.

  
Sixteen students, all strangers to each other, thrown into a Killing Game in a school which none of them applied for.

  
It took a few minutes for the silence to be broken by Suko.

  
"So, uh... What should we do now?"

  
The silence continued, before it was Miya's turn to speak up.

  
"M... Maybe we should look around...?"

  
Everyone seemed to agree with that, thought Mutsuko saw a problem.

  
"Hold on," she interrupted. "It's not safe to go alone."

  
Kachi nodded. "Yeah, for all we know someone could already be planning to kill." She shot an accusing glare at Kana, who pretended not to notice.

  
"We need to think of a way to navigate the school safely."

  
"W-We could make a buddy system," Akio interjected. "Like, g-groups of two. That way, at least if someone decides to kill, it should be obvious who it is, right?" The group all nodded in agreement. Akio smiled.

  
"Alright, th-then it's settled!" He happily shoved his hands in his pockets. Mutsuko looked at him in amusement. He seemed more confident than before. She had to admit, despite not knowing him for too long, she felt proud.

  
Mutsuko pulled out her handbook, and opened up the map. It showed the first floor, which they were currently on, and the ground floor. "Okay," she began. "We all get into groups of two, and search around these two floors. In about two hours, at 11 AM, we'll meet back in the dining hall to discuss our findings." She looked up. "Sound good?" Everyone nodded.

  
"Alright, partner up."

  
**\--**

  
Kagei shot straight to Arlo, the two giving each other a fist bump before leaving the gym. Arlo flashed everyone a peace sign as they left, which everyone ignored.

  
Mutsuko wasn't surprised when she saw Rieko and Kana group up together. Two utterly resentful people. They were a perfect match. Mutsuko hid a smirk as she watched them leave, Kana walking in fast strides with the smaller Puppeteer quickly trailing behind.

  
Aya was approached by Reina, who smiled warmly to the Dungeon Master. They were quick to leave, followed even quicker by Suko and Nasu, the latter two talking amongst themselves eagerly.

  
Mutsuko eyes scanned the room in search of Akio. She couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed when she saw that he had already partnered up with Irie, the two talking passionately amongst themselves. At least he was happy.

  
She walked over to where Sakuno and Kachi were standing, just catching them as they were about to leave. "Hey, are you two okay?" she asked, a genuine look of concern on her face. Kachi nodded.

  
"Yeah, Sakuno's still really shaken up, but they'll be okay. We'll probably focus more on getting them somewhere quiet, if that's alright with you?" she asked.

  
"Yeah, of course."

  
"Thank you." Kachi smiled and, holding Sakuno's hand, they left.

  
Mutsuko barely had time to register what was going on before she was approached by Yosoku. "Ah, it seems you're without a partner, my dear." he spoke, his voice just as smooth as it had been before. "Allow me to accompany you-" Suddenly, a scarred hand slammed down on his shoulder, making him turn around. Mutsuko breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the hand of her saviour belonged to Utako.

  
"You're coming with me." Her voice was low as she spoke, her eyes burning into Yosoku's. He shrugged, turning around, his tall, stocky build looming over the smaller Lumberjack, and left. Utako gave Mutsuko a quick thumbs up, which she recipricated, and ran off to catch up.

  
Now that nearly everyone was gone, that left Mutsuko with...

  
"... Hey!"

  
The Taxidermist looked down at Miya.

  
"Guess that just leaves us two, then?"

  
"If that's alright with you..." Mutsuko smiled.

  
"Of course it is."

  
**\--**

  
The two had decided amongst themselves to search the general area, rather than a select room as the other groups had done. They started with the hall outside the gymnasium, then made their way through the rest of the halls on the first floor, stopping occasionally to peek inside the rooms. From what they discovered, there wasn't much to offer, except for what appeared to be an A/V room, a few classrooms, one of which Mutsuko recognised as the one she had woken up in, some bathrooms, and a nurses office which they currently couldn't even enter, much to their frustration.

  
"Ah, what's the point of having a nurses office if we can't even use it...?" Miya mumbled.

  
There was, however, one room in particular which had piqued Mutsuko's interest. At the very end of the furthest hall, were two large, bright red doors.

  
"What do you think is behind them?"  
"... I don't know."

  
Mutsuko couldn't help but shake the feeling that something sinister was lurking behind them, so she decided to leave them be. Miya, however, walked straight up to them and turned the handle.

  
Mutsuko gasped. "H-Hey, what are you-"

  
"It's locked, don't worry." Miya stood back and rattled the doorknob as proof, the handle making a clicking sound as it refused to turn.

  
"Ah..."

  
Miya sighed, walking past Mutsuko. She seemed frustrated. Mutsuko followed, as the two of them began to make their way to the ground floor.

  
"... Did you notice?" Miya asked, staring straight ahead as she walked. Mutsuko raised an eyebrow.

  
"Notice what, exactly?"

  
"Hm... There were cameras everywhere."

  
Now that she thought about it, Mutsuko had indeed noticed the cameras, though at the time she had paid no mind to them. She wondered why that was. Looking back, she even recalled seeing a few in the gymnasium, where they were before, the cameras seemingly always fixated on the group. She shuddered. Now that she was more aware of them, she was beginning to feel that the cameras were following their every move, even as they descended the stairs and reached the lowest floor.

  
The duo continued to search the ground floor, taking note of the dormitories and their locations, as well as the cameras. Mutsuko also managed to point out the copious amount of monitors that adorned the walls as they continued their search.

  
"Oh, Mutsuko, look!"

  
Mutsuko approached Miya, noticing that she was standing in front of a large arched hallway, with what appeared to be... Police tape? Stretched across the entrance. It was clear that this area was off limits. Miya pulled out her E-Handbook, and opened the map.

  
"According to this, it's a locker room that leads to a bath house!" Despite sounding excited, Miya was frowning. "It's a shame it's blocked off, though. Man... That would've been cool." She was pouting.

  
"Mutsuko placed a reassuring hand on the smaller girl's shoulder's. "Don't worry, maybe it'll open eventually, then you and I can relax in it if you want?"

  
Miya seemed to like that idea, as she was now smiling. "Yeah... That'd be great!"

  
They continued to search the floor. It had once again grown quiet between the two, so Mutsuko decided she would break the ice.

  
"So," she began, watching Miya as they stood in front of a large gate which blocked off access to what they could only assume to be another floor. "How did you become the Ultimate Architect?" She watched with amusement as Miya's eyes lit up.

  
"Oh, I've been fascinated with buildings and landmarks for as long as I can remember! When I was a kid, I'd spend pretty much all my time making houses, towers, all sorts of stuff out of Lego. When I turned seven, my parents bought me my first video game..." She paused.

  
"... Have you heard of Minecraft before?"

Mutsuko shook her head.

  
"That's understandable, it's a pretty old game, came out in the early 2000's."

  
"Ah, that is a while."

  
"Anyway, it's a game where you can make basically anything you want out of blocks, kinda like virtual Lego I guess? This game was like, my life, as silly as it sounds. I would spend hours upon hours building in this game, then... One day, I decided I'd challenge myself a bit more, you know? I started replicating real life structures in the game, from cathedrals to museums. I would've left it at that, but... Then then game broke, and I couldn't play it anymore."

  
The two had begun to walk through the halls once more, not really having a set destination, Mutsuko listening with interest to Miya's story.

  
"I still wanted to make structures, though, so I began travelling around and making floor plans of different places, then making models of them at home with whatever I could find. Of course, I was getting bored with this as well, and that's when I decided to start making my own measurements and plans. Before I knew it, companies were paying me to create plans for new buildings, and my designs have been used all around the world... All 'cause of some silly toys, haha." She laughed sheepishly. "A-Ah, you probably think I'm a huge nerd..."

  
Mutsuko shook her head, frowning. "I don't think that at all. You must be really smart to be able to do all of that." Miya gave a weak smile, looking down at the ground.

  
"... Heh, thanks."

  
By the way she was acting, Mutsuko thought that the smaller girl wasn't used to being complimented. She decided she wouldn't bring this up.

  
**\--**

  
Soon, the two hours had passed, and the pair made their way over to the dining hall. They were surprised to find that they were the only ones there, aside from Sakuno and Kachi, who looked like they had been there for a while. Mutsuko approached the long table they were seated at, sitting across from them, Miya following suit and sitting down next to Mutsuko.

  
"How's Sakuno holding up?" Mutsuko asked, looking at Kachi.

  
"They're doing a lot better," Kachi replied, her voice filled with relief. "I think the quiet helped, right?" She turned to Sakuno, who gave a small nod.

  
A few more minutes passed as they talked amongst themselves, Sakuno remaining quiet the whole time except to whisper in Kachi's ear occasionally, until the rest of the groups began to arrive, one after the other. Another few minutes, and everyone was either seated or standing around the table.

  
Mutsuko cleared her throat, making sure everyone was quiet before speaking.

  
"Alright, what did we find?"

  
Reina raised her hand. "Me and Aya searched the classrooms where we all woke up!"

  
"And?"

  
"Not much," spoke Aya, sighing in frustration. "We were hoping to find any clues, maybe even vents or something that could lead outside. All we noticed was that the windows had all been sealed shut, even the ones in the halls. We're really trapped in here." His voice lowered as he spoke the last part.

  
"Yeah," Utako nodded in agreement, one leg crossed over the other as she leaned back in her seat. "I spent most of the time trying to break them. Solid iron plates." She paused. "Impossible to break through."

  
Mutsuko folded her arms, clearly frustrated. So there really was no way out of here.

  
"... Okay, anyone else?"

  
"Me and Akio went lookin' around for any signs of that bear, but we didn't have much luck. My guess? It's a ghost... Possibly even a demon." Irie's voice was calm as he spoke, though it was clear that he was scared.

  
"Dont say stupid crap like that, dipshit!" shrieked Rieko. Kana smirked as she watched from the other side of the table. Irie winced.

  
"I-I'm just sayin'!"

  
"Well, maybe instead of 'sayin'', you could actually use that tiny brain of yours to think!"

  
"That's enough, Rieko." Kana straightened her posture, her eyes burning into the Puppeteers. Rieko pouted, and sunk back into her chair.

  
"Does anyone else have anything noteworthy to report?" Mutsuko asked, with a slight hint of annoyance. Not at her classmates, though. Rather, at the situation. Her mood only lowered when nearly everyone shook their heads. Great.

  
"Uh, Mutsuko and I noticed that there were cameras everywhere," Miya spoke up. "So, whoever-"

  
"Or _what_ ever."

  
She ignored Irie. "Whoever is behind this is keeping a close eye on us."

  
"Aw shit, man..." Kagei groaned. "Being forced to kill each other is bad enough, but we don't even get any privacy?"

  
"It's okay dude, no one's gonna kill anyone!" Arlo gave the Pyrotechnician a reassuring pat on the back. Mutsuko hoped that was true.

  
"O-Oh, pardon me!" Kachi raised her hand. Mutsuko looked at her.

  
"While Sakuno was resting in here, I decided to check out the kitchen, and it seems like Monokuma is serious about us spending the rest of our lives here. There's more than enough food to feed us, and it looks like it's set to restock every few days."

  
"Hey, that's great news!" Suko clapped her hands together. "Least we won't go hungry! Speaking of, BRB!" She went to stand up, but was pulled back down by Nasu.

  
"Later. There's... Still things we need to discuss."

  
Mutsuko raised an eyebrow. "Were you able to find anything?"

  
Nasu shook his head, his fringe falling in front of him, though he made no effort to brush it away. "No... But, I think we should go over the school rules."

  
Ah. She had forgotten about those.

  
She, as well as the other students pulled out their handbooks, and clicked on the 'REGULATIONS' icon. The screen then lit up with the rules, and a small, dancing, chibi Monokuma sprite, much to Mutsuko's distaste. She began to read through the list.

  
' **RULE #1:** Students may only reside within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.'

  
Mutsuko scoffed. As if there was even a way out to begin with.

  
' **RULE #2:** "Nighttime" is from 10 PM to 7 AM. The gymnasium and dining hall are off limits during these hours, so please exercise caution.'

  
**'RULE #3:** Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitories will be seen as sleeping in class, and will be punished accordingly.'

  
"'Punished accordingly'? What does that mean?" Mutsuko mumbled to herself.

  
"... I-I think you know what it means." Akio, who had been sitting on the opposite side of her, replied, his voice still shaky.

  
' **RULE #4:** With minimal restrictions, students are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at their discretion.'

  
Well that's just untrue. Half the school is blocked off, for fuck's sake.

  
' **RULE #5:** Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of school property.'

  
' **RULE #6:** Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.'

  
Reading that made Mutsuko feel sick to her stomach. There's no way anyone here would actually commit murder... Right?

  
' **RULE #7:** Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.'  
Mutsuko sighed, and tucked her handbook back into her pocket. She was feeling so many different emotions at once, none of them positive. Looking up, it seemed that everyone else was experiencing the same thing.

  
"Those were... A lot clearer than I thought they would be." Nasu's voice was low as he spoke.

  
"Then that just means that there's less to discuss, doesn't it?" replied Yosoku, making Mutsuko jump as she realised that he had been standing behind her the entire time. So that's why Utako kept glancing up at the space behind her.

  
"Well then," Kana spoke, standing up. "If there's nothing left to discuss, I'll be leaving." She began to leave the dining hall, but before she could leave, a familiar voice echoed throughout the room.

  
_**"Hold 'ya horses, freakazoid! That goes for the rest of you munchkins too!"**_

  
Everyone groaned as Monokuma made his next appearance on a monitor that was sitting on the wall across from the table.

  
"What do you want now, demon spawn?!" Irie clutched a small, silver cross that was strung around his neck. As if that was gonna do anything.

  
_**"'Demon spawn'? Aw, Tanayuki, 'yer not even close! I gotta admit, I'm disappointed, but not surprised."**_ The bear cleared his throat. _**"Anyway, kids, please make your way to the A/V room for 'yer first motive!"**_

  
Everyone looked at Monokuma, confused. Well, everyone except for Mutsuko and Akio.

  
"Whaddaya mean by that?" asked Rieko, annoyed. Monokuma frowned.

  
**"Just get 'ya butts up there, ASAP! Headmaster's orders!"** And with that, the screen turned off.

  
"What the hell does he mean by a 'motive'?!" Rieko repeated, the hand puppet moving along in near perfect synchronisation with her movements. Akio and Mutsuko looked at each other, before looking back to the group.

  
"It's..." Mutsuko sighed. "... We'll tell you after we head up there."

  
"Wait, so you know what's happening to us?" Reina leaned forward, her face filled with worry.

  
Akio nodded. "Yeah... B-But we should do as Monokuma says r-right now."

  
"That's awfully suspicious, wouldn't you say?" Kana spoke, her eyes narrowing, though her smile was still as wide as ever.

  
"Not really," replied Aya, adjusting his glasses as he stood up. "As I recall... Akio's the Ultimate True Crimes Expert. If what Mutsuko said earlier in the gym is true, and this has happened before, there's no doubt he'd know about it..." He turned to Akio. "Right?"

  
He nodded. Kana gave a look of displeasure, and left the dining hall, Rieko once again following suit. Everyone else agreed to talk about it after the motive was given, so they all, as one large group, made their way to the A/V room.

  
**\--**

  
Once they arrived, Monokuma once again appeared on the large screen in front of the room.

  
"Hey, are you ever gonna show up in person, or what?" Kagei asked.

  
_**"I can't do that, stupid, I'm a bear!"**_ He laughed. _**"But if 'yer asking if I have a physical body, yes, I do! In fact, I have a ton! One half smells like vanilla, the other, black licorice!"** _he announced proudly.

  
"Then why don't you just walk around like that?"

  
_**"'Cause it's easier like this! Now shut up and sit down! You'll notice that each screen has a diferent name on it. Find yours, sit down, toss on them there headphones and press play!"**_

  
Mutsuko took note of what Monokuma said, and sat down at her assigned screen. Something about what he said sounded off to her, but she would bring that up with the others later. She had no idea what to expect, but as she put on her headphones and pressed play on the screen, she was about to find out.

  
The screen lit up with life, as Monokuma's high voice filled her ears.

  
_**'Mutsuko Urayama, the Ultimate Taxidermist. Praised by countless museums and research facilities all over the world. Though no one praises her as much as her loving parents who, although slightly disturbed by their daughter's talent, never stopped supporting her.'**_

  
As he spoke, the screen filled with a slideshow of pictures of her parents over the years, smiling in every one. These were personal pictures, where did he get them? She unknowingly clenched her fists as he continued.

  
_**'Yeah, despite financial hardships they always did their best to raise their only child, wanting to give her the best childhood they could. Makes sense, since they both grew up during... Well, you know, upupupu~.'**_

  
She began to grit her teeth. What was he planning? That was quickly answered when a video flashed on screen, making Mutsuko tremble with fear. Her family's home had been lit ablaze. She could hear screaming coming from inside, no doubt from her parents. The sky was a deep red, and the surrounding area had been totalled. She could practically hear their flesh burn as they screamed in agony. She felt like she was about to throw up.

  
_They were screaming her name._

  
_**'Oh dear, what's happened? Are they gonna be okay?'**_

  
The screen then went black, a simple message appearing after a moment.

  
**'FIND OUT AFTER YOU KILL SOMEONE!'**

  
Mutsuko screamed in anger, and threw the headphones to the ground. The video was fake, it's gotta be. But... It looked and sounded so convincing...

  
She stood up and looked around the room, seeing that most of her classmates were having the same reaction. Kana, however, looked as calm as ever. She went to approach her, but was stopped by Kachi.

  
"Mutsuko, I need your help."

  
She looked terrified.

  
"O-Oh, sure, what's up?"

 

"It's Sakuno."

  
Shit.

  
The two rushed over to where Sakuno was sitting. They were barely breathing, their body overcome with anxiety.

  
"I need help getting them to their room, can you help?" Mutsuko didn't need to be asked twice.

  
She went over to Sakuno's right side, Kachi on the left, and the two girls wrapped their arms around the Herpetologist, gently lifting them up. Mutsuko noticed how stiff their movements were as they made their way down to the dormitories. Finding Sakuno's room, Kachi took their key from out of their pocket and unlocked the door. She closed the door behind them as they entered, Mutsuko laying Sakuno down on the bed. Kachi was quick to return, sitting on the bed next to them. She looked worried.

  
"Will they be alright, do you think?"

  
Kachi nodded. "It looks like they've just had a shutdown, that's all. They just need to rest." She looked up at Mutsuko. "Thank you for helping. I couldn't have got them down here on my own."

  
Mutsuko smiled. "It's no problem at all. Im gonna go back up and check on the others, I'll come down again later to check up on you two, okay?"

  
"Thank you."

  
Mutsuko left the room, and made her way back up to the A/V room, where everyone was still panicking. It seemed like no one had even noticed she was gone. Utako was screaming at Monokuma on the giant screen, the bear simply watching in glee. It was obvious he was taking immense joy in watching them panic.

  
"What the fuck did you do to her?!" she screamed, tears forming around her eyes. It was the most emotion Mutsuko had seen on the Lumberjack. "What are you getting out of this?!"

  
_**"What am I getting out of this?"**_ He leaned in close.

  
_**"Why, your Despair, of course!"**_

  
**\--**

  
Fourty minutes had passed, and the students, except of course, Kachi and Sakuno, were once again seated around the table. It had been quiet. Too quiet, it seemed to Kana, as she began to finally speak.

  
"... So. Akio and Mutsuko. Do tell us what is going on here." Her voice dripped with venom as she spoke. The two looked at each other, and nodded.

  
"This 'School Life of Mutual Killing'," Mutsuko began. "as I'm sure you're all aware, has happened before. Around fifty years ago, to be exact."

  
Aya looked up. "S-So, you're saying it happened-"

  
"During the Tragedy, yes."

  
Silence.

  
"It happened exactly where we are now, at Hope's Peak Academy. It was here that fifteen students were trapped within these walls, and forced to kill each other."

  
"Wait, but there's sixteen of us...?" Arlo spoke up, idly bouncing his leg up and down. Mutsuko nodded.

  
"Despite fifteen being thrown into the 'game', there were sixteen students all up. One of them was the one who orchestrated everything from behind the scenes. The 'Mastermind', if you will. That student was..." She paused, and as she was about to continue, she was cut off by Akio.

  
"Junko Enoshima. The Ultimate Despair."

  
"Hold on... Wasn't she the one who caused the Tragedy?" Nasu asked, not looking up from his notebook.

  
"Yeah. However, Junko's plan failed as she ended up being outsmarted and killed by Makoto Naegi, as well as the five other survivors." As Akio spoke, he fiddled around with an empty energy drink can that he had recieved from the kitchen.

  
"The Headmaster of Hope's Peak? So he was a survivor, then..." Yosoku thought out loud, leaning back into the chair that he had pulled out from another table. Though this time he was seated next to Utako. She had been adamant that he stay close to her at all times from now on, which he had agreed to much quicker than she would've liked.

  
Mutsuko brought a hand up to her chin. "That means that we have a copycat Mastermind on our hands... And it could possibly be one of us."

  
"H-How could it be one of us?!" protested Kagei. "None of us even knew about it except you two!"

  
"That's true," Aya replied. "But as I said earlier, it's only natural that Akio knows, due to his talent." He then turned to Mutsuko, adjusting his glasses once again. "Though, how do you know, Mutsuko?" All eyes were on her. She sighed.

  
"... Because I learned from my parents. They grew up during the Tragedy, as I'm sure most of your parents did as well. My parents decided to tell me. It's not my fault that your parents didn't tell you, though it's completely understandable."

  
Arlo raised his hand. "Uh, if this Makoto dude is the real Headmaster, could he be the one keeping us here? Not gonna lie, I don't think you'd do sometin' like this, and Akio jumps at his own shadow."

  
"I-I do not!"

  
Mutsuko nodded. "That's also a possibility, yes."

  
Arlo smiled to himself, proud, though Mutsuko had no idea what there was to be proud of.

  
"What about the motive, then." Utako's voice was filled with resentment. She folded her arms. Her eyes were still slightly red and puffy from crying earlier.

  
"It's exactly as it sounds. I'm pretty sure the motives were used to motivate the students into killing each other, though I'm not sure what each of the motives were, unfortunately, so I cannot tell you what else to expect."

  
Utako was silent for a moment, before standing up. "... I'm going to my room." she stated. "I'm done here." and with that, she left.

  
"... Does that mean we can leave too?" Suko asked. Mutsuko looked at Akio, who nodded.

  
"We're pretty much finished, so yeah."

  
One by one, the students left the dining hall, until only Mutsuko and Miya were left.

  
Mutsuko stood up, and looked to the smaller girl. "You can leave too, you know."

  
Miya shook her head. "Buddy system, remember?" Mutsuko sighed.

  
"... Alright." She looked up at the clock. It was fast approaching 7 PM. "I should have something to eat, soon." she mused to herself. Miya soon sat in front of her, a small bag of pistachios in her hand.

  
"Want some?" she offered, which Mutsuko politely declined.

  
As the evening went on, Mutsuko sat there in silence, thinking about the situation, and trying to think of ways to escape. Though, much to her frustration, she couldn't think of anything. Miya, on the other hand, was happily sketching out and planning what looked to be a new building in a small sketchbook she had pulled out from her apron.

  
Before they knew it, every monitor in the building sprung to life, displaying Monokuma's face.

  
_**"Ahem! Students of Hope's Peak Academy. It is now officially nighttime! Please note that the dining hall and gymnasium will be closed until 7 AM, and if I catch you in there, I'll tear 'ya to bits! Goodnight, sleep tight!"**_

  
Miya looked up to Mutsuko. "We should leave." She nodded in agreement and the two of them stood up, leaving the dining hall. Nearly immediately after, a large, steel shutter slammed down near the entrance over the doors, making the two jump.

  
"Well... Goodnight!"

  
Mutsuko forced a smile.

  
"Goodnight."

  
**\--**

  
As she lay down on her bed, Mutsuko began to realise just how exhausted she had been, though she wasn't sure how much sleep she would get that night. She just hoped that no one would die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are the chapters too long? It's something I've been thinking about for a while. Please let me know if you think they're too big, cause I wanna make sure everyone's happy with it!


	4. Chapter 1- Daily Life 3

Mutsuko woke to the sound of Monokuma’s shrill voice echoing throughout her room. She cringed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and sat up.

 

**_“Goooood morning, everyone! It is now 7 AM. Time to get up!”_ **

 

She groaned. Just as she was about to get up, she heard a knock at her door.

 

"Just a minute," she grumbled, just loud enough so that the person on the other side of the door could hear. She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, giving herself more time to wake up, before standing up and making her way over to the wardrobe. Upon opening it, she discovered that it was filled with about ten sets of her daily outfit, white button-up shirts neatly hanging next to each other, with the same amount of her black dress pants folded up on a shelf. There were also about seven pairs of pyjamas on a lower shelf, though to Mutsuko they looked like prison uniforms. They were grey in colour, each pair having a shirt that she was sure would be too big for her, as well as a pair of track pants. Both articles of clothing bore the Hope's Peak Academy crest. Sighing to herself, she picked out her outfit and got changed. As she was changing, she realised that she had neglected to change into her pyjamas the night before.  _ Oops _ . At least there was a laundry room nearby.

 

Once she was changed, and was satisfied with her appearance, Mutsuko answered the door, being greeted by Miya.

 

"A-Ah, good morning!" she exclaimed, giving the much taller girl a wave, which Mutsuko returned. 

 

"Good morning, Miya." she replied. "Sorry to keep you waiting." She looked down the hall, seeing no-one else. "... You're up quite early."

 

"Yeah." Miya gave a small chuckle. "I couldn't really sleep last night, so I've been awake for a while." She glanced down the hall, towards the dining hall. "Some of the others are already up, so we should meet up with them."

 

"Oh… Alright then." Mutsuko yawned as the two of them made their way to the dining hall, where Irie, Akio, Sakuno, and Kachi were seated around the centre table. No-one looked like they had slept well.

 

"Morning, dudes." Irie didn't look up as he spoke, instead waving a hand in their direction. Mutsuko and Miya were quick to join them at the table.

 

"We were just telling Kachi and Sakuno what we were talking about yesterday, about our situation, since they weren't here." Akio said, finishing off what appeared to be his third energy drink so far this morning. Mutsuko wondered how he was able to still function.

 

Kachi nodded in agreement, sliding over a freshly brewed pot of coffee and a mug in Mutsuko's direction, which she gratefully accepted, pouring herself a drink. "We were still in Sakuno's room…" She sighed. "I just can't believe this has all happened before. Right here." Kachi shuddered. Sakuno noticed this, and rested their head against Kachi in a reassuring manner. This seemed to calm Kachi down, as her body relaxed a bit.

 

"It'll be okay," Miya, who had been seated next to Akio, spoke up. "I know for a fact that no-one's gonna kill anyone. We're all better than that." Akio looked at her, frowning.

 

"... I hope so."

 

**\--**

 

Soon, the other groups joined, one after another, until all sixteen students were either seated or standing around the table. Everyone was quiet, and the tension was so thick that you could cut it.

 

"... I'm surprised we're all here." said Nasu, in a somewhat poor attempt to break said tension. Of course, that just made everyone more tense. Kana, who was seated at the far end on the table, leaned back into her chair. 

 

"Enjoy it while it lasts, everyone," she added, nonchalantly. "Because someone will end up dead by tonight." 

 

Everyone looked at her in concern. 

 

"... What do you mean by that?" asked Utako.

 

"Is it not obvious?" replied Kana, not even looking at the redhead. "I thought I was pretty clear. Someone will die by the end of the night, and it will be because of one of us." Rieko smirked, standing behind her, and silently nodded in agreement.

 

Miya shot out of her seat, startling Akio. "Th-That's not true!" she shouted. Kana rolled her eyes, her body shifting so that it was now facing Miya.

 

"Do you remember those videos from yesterday? Do you remember how scared everyone was? How frightened they were for their loved ones? Some even had to leave the room." She shot a glance at Sakuno. "Do you not think that surely, at least one of us, is seriously considering murder for the sake of saving their loved ones?"

 

The room was quiet. Mutsuko hated to admit it, but she was right. Kana gave a small chuckle. 

 

"I thought so. At least, I know that either way, I wouldn't hesitate to kill any one of you." Again, she glanced at Sakuno, who looked away, clearly intimidated.

 

"... That sounds like a threat." Yosoku said, his cool eyes pinned on the Mortician. She turned to him.

 

"It's both a threat, and a promise." Kana gave the masked man a smile, before standing up. Just as she was about to turn to leave, Miya continued to speak.

 

"N-No! I won't let you!"

 

Kana raises an eyebrow at her, clearly unimpressed. Rieko, still sticking close to her, began to shout back.

 

"Shut the fuck up, you nasty piece of trash!" she hissed. "Kana can do whatever she wants!"

 

"But we need to work together to to defeat whoever's doing this to us!" 

 

Akio, who was still sitting down, looked up at Miya. "Miya…" Ignoring him, she continued.

 

"We can't give in to what they want! They  _ want _ us to kill each other! Don't you understand?!" She was on the verge of tears. She looked around the table. "Please… Don't give into this… Don't give into Despair-"

 

"Miya, that's enough." Now Akio was standing. He gave her a stern look, one that Mutsuko had not considered him capable of. Realising that everyone was staring at him, he cleared his throat. "...No-one's gonna do that." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Just… I think you need to take a breather. Come on, let's go for a walk."

 

"Wait, what about the group system?" asked Reina, looking at Mutsuko. Mutsuko hesitated for a moment, then nodded. 

 

"It's okay. I'll stick with Irie for a bit until they get back." Akio looked at her and nodded, before carefully wrapping his arm around Miya's shoulder. Glancing at Kana, he left the dining hall with Miya, who looked at Mutsuko with concern. Mutsuko noticed this, and began to feel uneasy about the whole situation. 

 

"Yeah, go 'walk around' with your fuck buddy, you tramp!" Rieko shouted out behind them. Kana glared at her.

 

"Rieko, that's enough. Leave it." Rieko went quiet.

 

"... Sorry, Kana." she murmured, looking down at the ground. Kana ignored her apology and left, Rieko quickly following behind.

 

The room was once again silent. 

 

Aya, clearly shaken up by the whole event, cleared his throat. "Well then, I, uh..." He paused. "... I guess we can do our own thing now?" Everyone shrugged in agreement, except for Utako. 

 

"Shouldn't we be looking for a way out?" she asked, frustration in her voice.

 

"That's what we spent all day doing yesterday, dude." sighed Kagei. "We couldn't find anything, remember?"

 

Utako frowned. "Well maybe something else turned up." she huffed, standing up. "I'm not giving up just yet. Come on, Fukanoya." 

 

Yosoku, gave a small bow to the rest of the students, before walking alongside Utako as the two of them left. 

 

Aya looked around. "... Welp, I'm leaving." No-one argued as he left with Reina. 

 

Mutsuko sighed. "I guess we're doing our own thing now." she said. "Let's all meet back here at 7 PM, okay?" 

 

Everyone agreed and left the dining hall until only Mutsuko, Irie, Kagei, and Arlo remained. 

 

"You two aren't leaving?" Mutsuko asked. 

 

"Nah, mate," Arlo replied, grinning. Mutsuko winced. "We're gonna chill here for a while, there ain't nothing much to do!" Kagei nodded in agreement. Arlo raised an eyebrow. "Why are you two stayin'?"

 

Mutsuko glanced at Irie, who was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. It didn't take long for her to realise he was asleep.

 

"... I'm going to wait for Akio and Miya to return." 

 

Arlo nodded. "Fair enough. Oh! You can hang with us then!" he added. He seemed to also notice that Irie was asleep.

 

Mutsuko sighed, and joined them on the other end of the table. What other choice did she have?

 

**\--**

 

An hour had passed, and Mutsuko and Kagei were contently listening to Arlo talk on about his home country. 

 

"... Yeah, and we have these little cakes called 'lamingtons' which are sponge cakes dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut, and lemme tell you guys, they're bloody amazing!" Arlo rambled on happily. Kagei was laughing. 

 

"That sounds kinda gross, dude." he commented. "Wouldn't the cake get soggy or something?"

 

Arlo shook his head, his eyes wide with excitement. "You'd think that, but nah!" He leaned back. "I'm tellin' you, as soon as we get out of this place, I'm takin' you guys with me back home and I'm getting you some lamingtons." Mutsuko couldn't help but chuckle.

 

"If you insist." She had to admit, despite not really caring for the Lifeguard, seeing him talk so passionately about something made her smile. She watched as the two began talking about other topics, such as movies and actors, and Kagei boast about some of the big Hollywood movies he had worked on, Arlo listening in awe. She watched, and listened, and once again she was filled with a sense of peace.

 

"... Okay, okay, so dude. Bro." Arlo looked at Kagei after taking a large sip of his drink. "Do you think you might be able to like… You know… Blow us outta here?" 

 

Kagei frowned. "... Not without blowing us all up, no." Arlo sighed.

 

"Aw, man…" 

 

Kagei sighed, placing his left hand over his scarred eye, his right hand still shoved in his pocket.  "... Sorry dude. Can't risk it." Arlo quickly shook his head, leaning forward. "Nah, it's okay, bro!" He leant over and placed his hand on Kagei's shoulder, grinning. "We'll just think of another way!" He flashed a now blushing Kagei a thumbs up, and turned to Mutsuko, who was trying to hide a smirk. 

 

"Alright, Mutsubro, how about this," He cleared his throat, blissfully unaware of the glare he was receiving from Mutsuko because of her new nickname. "Using spoons from the kitchen, we dig a tunnel in the ground leading to the outside like in the cartoons! What do you think?" Kagei and Mutsuko looked at him.

 

"... Spoons...?"

 

Arlo went quiet. 

 

"... We're not getting out of here, are we dudes?" 

 

"Not unless you decide to kill someone, you're not." 

 

Arlo screamed and jumped out of his chair, turning around to find that Kana had returned. Mutsuko rolled her eyes. 

 

"Ah, you're back. Great." 

 

Kana grinned. "Yes, I was getting quite bored, so I decided to come down and get a drink." She turned back to Arlo. "Lovely idea, by the way. Using silverware to dig a tunnel through five feet of concrete which, even of we were able to get through it, I'm sure would definitely hold up and not crush us to death. I'll have that Collector boy write it down in his little notebook." She smiled as she spoke, though it was clear that her words were far from well-meaning. 

 

"Leave him alone, Kana." Kagei grumbled, prompting Kana to focus her attention onto the Pyrotechnician. 

 

"Oh, of course." She bowed. "Please, allow me to apologise… One lady to another." 

 

Kagei winced.

 

Arlo was about to open his mouth, before Mutsuko quickly cut in. 

 

"Where's Rieko?" she asked in an attempt to bring Kana's attention away from Kagei, which thankfully worked. 

 

"I told her to stop following me." she simply responded. "She was getting on my nerves."

 

"Huh, funny that, considering that's exactly what you're doin' to us right now!" Arlo spoke up, clearly frustrated, which Mutsuko noticed was a first for him. "Just piss off and leave us alone already, will ya?!" Kana, taken aback by his sudden outburst, glared at him, before turning her heel and making her way to the kitchen. 

 

Mutsuko listened as Arlo muttered under his breath. "And she says  _ I'm _ the stupid one… Doesn't even know the difference between a bloke and a chick." He turned to Kagei. 

 

"Hey bro, don't worry about her, yeah? She was just graspin' at straws. That's like, the oldest insult in the bro dictionary." Kagei raised his eyebrow, sighed, and shook his head. 

 

"... Don't worry about it, Arlo." he said quietly. "Thanks for sticking up for me, though." Arlo smiled.

 

"I should thank you, dude! You did the same thing, y'know!" Kagei chuckled.

 

Mutsuko turned around when she heard more footsteps, this time belonging to Irie, who had finally woken up, and was walking over to her. 

 

"Hey, uh… could I ask a favour?"

 

Mutsuko raised an eyebrow. "... I suppose so. What is it?" 

 

**\--**

 

Mutsuko sat across the small table in what she considered to be the darkest part of the dining hall, filled with regret. She watched Irie talk into a small handheld camera over and over again, sighing at each 'retake'. She had been sitting across that table doing nothing for nearly an hour before he finally began to talk to her.

 

"Okay, so I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions, yeah, and I want you to answer them, kinda like an interview, got it?" 

 

"I guess?" 

 

"Tubular, alright." He focused the camera onto Mutsuko, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat, which Irie noticed.

 

"You okay?" he asked.

 

"I must admit, I'm a tad nervous."

 

"Ah… This your first time?"

 

Mutsuko rolled her eyes. "No, I've been nervous before." Irie blinked. 

 

"N-No, I meant like-"

 

"I know what you meant Irie. I was joking."

 

Mutsuko was, of course, no stranger to interviews, but that didn't mean she was used to them. Although she hated to admit it, she had quite the stage fright. Even televised interviews were nerve racking to her, and she scolded herself for being afraid for this, an interview that will most likely not even matter. 

 

"R-Right. Uh, anyway... Lets begin." Irie replied, adjusting the camera focus. "So Mutsuko Urayama, the Ultimate Taxidermist. You, alongside fifteen other students, woke up in what was discovered to be Hope's Peak Academy, despite never receiving an acceptance letter, yeah?" Mutsuko frowned.

 

"Yeah…?"

 

"Do you remember how you got here?"

 

"... No." 

 

"Just like everyone else," he spoke to the camera. "We all woke up here with no recollection of  _ how _ we got here, and when we looked around, we couldn't find a way out… Pretty spooky."

 

Mutsuko furrowed her brow. "Shouldn't Akio and Miya be back by now?" she asked, checking the time on her handbook. "It's been nearly two hours-"

 

"They're fine," Irie interrupted. "I'm sure they just got lost or something. Anyway," he continued, focusing the camera back on her. "Do you believe in the paranormal?"

 

"I…" she sighed. "... No." 

 

Irie chuckled. "Well, that might change soon, seeing as I just so happen to know who's keeping us here."

 

Mutsuko looked at him in disbelief. "... Really?" 

 

He nodded. "Yep. Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems like we've been trapped in here by none other than… A vengeful spirit." 

 

"... Forget this, I'm done here." Mutsuko sighed and stood out of her chair.

 

"W-Wait, I'm serious, I've got proof!"

 

"Oh? Like what?" 

 

Irie frowned. "Well, I mean, I don't have it  _ yet _ but I will!"

 

"Goodbye, Irie." She replied. "I'm going to look for Akio and Miya." she continued, as she began to walk away. She didn't need to walk far, however, as shortly they returned to the dining hall. Miya ran up to Mutsuko, while Akio stayed back.

 

"I'm sorry we took a while, we got a little sidetracked." she laughed sheepishly. 

 

"'A little sidetracked'? Miya, you two were gone for over two hours, what happened?"

 

Miya opened her mouth to speak, before being cut off by Akio, who had finally approached them. 

 

"We were looking for another way out." He turned to Mutsuko, looking up at her. "I'm sorry, I should've told you first." Miya simply nodded her head in silence. Mutsuko sighed.

 

"It's okay, it's just… Something could have happened."

 

Akio frowned. "... I know. I'm sorry, Mutsuko." He paused. "... I'm gonna go check up on Irie." He gave Mutsuko a small smile, before joining his group partner. 

 

Miya sighed, sitting down at the centre table, followed by Mutsuko who sat next to her, leaning forward.

 

"Hey. Please excuse me for asking this, but are you two…?" Miya raised an eyebrow, before realising what she was referring to. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. 

 

"N-No!" she replied, blushing. "Not at all! I just thought… If I were to find a way out of here, no-one would have to die." She sighed again. "I really don't want anyone to die…" Miya then leaned forward and grabbed Mutsuko's arm with surprising strength. She looked at the taller girl with pleading eyes.

 

_ "... You believe me, don't you?" _

 

Mutsuko blinked. Where was this coming from?

 

"... Of course I believe you, Miya." she replied. Her chest was pounding. Was it from fear? Mutsuko didn't know.  Miya slowly withdrew her hand and nodded.

 

"... Okay. Thank you." 

 

Mutsuko frowned. "Miya, are you oka-" she was interrupted by a shrill voice echoing through the dining hall. She immediately stood up, ready to deal with Rieko who had entered, and was calling out for Kana. She looked like she was in a hurry. 

 

"Kana?! Kana!" 

 

Kana, who had been sitting at a small table on the opposite side of the room, looked up. It was clear she was annoyed, though she still kept her smile plastered on her face. Rieko spotted her, and ran up to her.

 

"Kana, I gotta tell you something, it's about-"

 

"Rieko. What did I say in the laundry room?"

 

Rieko frowned. "Y-You told me to leave you alone, but-"

 

"So then why are you speaking to me?" Mutsuko could practically hear Kana's blood vessels beginning to burst.

 

"B-Because-"

 

"Because right now, you're being nothing but a little pest. Now I will not tell you again. Leave me be."

 

Rieko was taken aback. Tears welling up in her eyes, she turned and ran out of the dining hall, but not before giving both Miya and Mutsuko a look that sent chills up Mutsuko's spine, when she noticed that they had witnessed the entire event. 

 

Mutsuko let out a sigh. "... At least it's quiet again." Turning to Miya, she smiled. 

 

"Would you like some tea?"

 

**\--**

 

Two more hours passed, with the two girls sitting at the table, happily talking, Mutsuko only leaving every now and then to refill the teapot. Miya had perked up again since her return, but Mutsuko noticed that she still seemed slightly off. Mutsuko still couldn't stop thinking about what Miya had said to her earlier. 

 

_ … You believe me, don't you? _

 

Something about what she said made Mutsuko nervous, though she couldn't understand why. 

 

"... Anyway, as I was saying, I was thinking of going around and checking the buildings infrastructure for any possible weak points that we could use to aid our escape, what do you think?"

 

Mutsuko blinked. "Wouldn't that be dangerous? We don't want to bring the building down on us." Miya nodded. 

 

"I never said it would be easy." she replied. "We would just need everyone's cooperation. Well, except for…" She glanced around for a moment. "... Nevermind." Sighing, Miya reached into her pocket, only to frown a few moments later. 

 

"What's wrong?" Asked Mutsuko.

 

"I think I left my sketchbook in my room," she replied, standing up. "I'll go check, I'll be back in a moment." Mutsuko didn't like that idea.

 

"... Let me come with you." 

 

Miya shook her head. "It's only down the hall, it won't take long." 

 

"But-"

 

"I-It's fine. Really." Miya smiled, pushing her chair in. "I'll be back soon okay? I'm just going to my room to get my book, it'll take five minutes tops!" 

 

Mutsuko sighed.

 

"... Okay."

 

Miya nodded, still smiling, and Mutsuko watched as she left. 

 

**\--**

 

Twenty minutes had passed, and Mutsuko was getting worried. Frowning, she walked over to where Irie and Akio were seated. 

 

"Oh, hey again Mutsuko," Irie greeted. He looked around her, frowning. "where's Miya?"

 

"She went to retrieve something from her room, but that was twenty minutes ago, when she insisted it would take no more than five."

 

Irie sucked in a breath. "Hate to break it to you, but the spirit probably got to her."

 

"Don't say things like that." she huffed, trying to hide her growing fear. 

 

"Hey! Mutsubro!" She turned around and saw Arlo calling out to her. "Where's your little group buddy?" Mutsuko frowned, and motioned an 'I don't know' to him. He nodded, and resumed his conversation with Kagei.

 

"... I'm gonna go look for her." she stated. 

 

"It's dangerous to go by yourself." replied Akio, standing up. "We'll come too."

 

Irie frowned. "Man, I'm not getting killed!" 

 

"Please, Irie? We're less likely to be attacked if there's a group of us." Akio pleaded. Irie sighed. 

 

"... Ah fine."

 

Mutsuko smiled. "Thank you."

 

The three began to make their way towards the exit, before being stopped by Kagei and Arlo. 

 

"Hey, you guys going to go find her?" asked Kagei, ruffling his left hand through his hair. Mutsuko simply nodded. 

 

"Let us help, then!" Arlo flashed a thumbs up. "We can search the top floor!" 

 

"That would be great. Thank you guys." Mutsuko smiled, and the three of them left, not before Mutsuko glanced over at Kana, who watched them leave, Arlo and Kagei rushing on ahead as they began to call out Miya's name. 

 

The trio began knocking on each of the doors to the dorm rooms, none of them answering. 

 

"They're probably somewhere else in the school," Irie commented, as Akio knocked on Utako's door. Nothing. 

 

Mutsuko approached Miya's room. She frowned when she saw the door was closed. Holding her breath, she reached out a hand and knocked on the door. No answer. She knocked again, louder. Still nothing.

 

"Miya? It's Mutsuko, are you okay?" she called out. She received no reply. 

 

"Maybe she's gone somewhere else." Akio reassured. Mutsuko nodded, and the three of them continued to search the lower floor. They reached the laundry room, where upon opening it, discovered Reina and Aya sitting across from each other, playing a complicated looking card game.

 

"Oh, hey guys!" Reina greeted cheerily. "We're playing a game called Yu-Gi-Oh, wanna join?" Mutsuko shook her head. 

 

"Not right now, we're looking for Miya. You two haven't seen her, have you?" The two shook their heads. 

 

"No, sorry. We've pretty much been in here all day." Aya replied. "You lot playing a game or something?"

 

"Miya's gone missing." Aya paled. 

 

"... Oh." 

 

"I-I'm sure she's around somewhere!" Reina chuckled nervously. 

 

Akio leaned over to Mutsuko. "Hey, we're gonna keep searching." Mutsuko nodded, and Akio and Irie left to continue the search.

 

Aya put down his cards and adjusted his glasses. "When did she leave?" he asked.

 

"About twenty minutes ago." replied Mutsuko. "She left to retrieve her sketchbook from her room, but never returned. We checked her room, and she wasn't in there." Aya simply nodded.

 

"Did you want help finding her?" Reina asked. "We can put our game on hold!" 

 

"That would be helpful, thank-" 

 

_ "AAAAAAAAHHHH!!" _

 

Mutsuko was interrupted by a scream coming from outside. Her heart raced.

 

_ Oh no. _

 

Mutsuko ran out towards the source of the scream, followed by Reina and Aya, who were quick to jump out of their seat and follow. The screaming continued, taking them to the boiler room, where the door was open. Akio was standing outside the door, leaning against the doorframe. He looked like he was about to pass out. Reina rushed to his aid and turned to Aya.

 

"Get the others!" she shouted. Aya, shaking, nodded and ran off.

 

The screaming stopped as Mutsuko entered the boiler room, where she saw Irie on his knees, crying. She ran up to him. 

 

"Are you okay?!" she asked, adrenaline rushing throughout her body. Irie shook his head, his attention focused on something else in the room. Mutsuko followed his gaze, and immediately suppressed the urge to vomit.

 

Laying on the ground near the boiler was what had been left of Miya. The only identifying factors indicating that it was her was her clothes. Her body was lying on its side in a pool of blood, a blood trail leading from the other end of the room. Mutsuko approached the body. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears. Miya's head had been completely crushed in, save for her lower jaw. Fragments of bone were scattered in, and around the fleshy puddle, with small pieces of brain having been thrown about for good measure. Her eyes were crushed in along with the rest of her head. Leaning over, Mutsuko saw that a screwdriver had been shoved into her lower spine. It was only when she heard the rest of the students arrive, hearing their screams and their cries, that Mutsuko realised the reality of the situation.

 

Miya was dead.

 

And one of them killed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa boy, haven't touched this in a while, Yeet. I have depression to blame, haha.
> 
> This chapter's a tad shorter than the others, but now it's getting ~juicy~, lmao. I'll try to update this more regularly, and as always, if you enjoy it please leave a kudos 'cause I crave that sweet, sweet Validation™


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